Piano-player action



Feb. 10,1925;

F. l. RAYMQND rmzo PLAYER ACTION Filed Aug. 1Q. 192

2 Sheets-Sheet 1 q ww U U U 5 U 5 @AU 8 U n Patented Feb. 10, 1925.

PATENT oFFlcE.

FRED I. RAYMOND, OF EVANSTON, ILLINOIS.

PIANO-PLAYER- ACTION.

Application filed August 10, 1320.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, F nun I. RAYMOND, a citizen of the United States, residing at Evanston. in the county of Cook and state of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Piano-Player Ac tions, oi which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a pneumatic piano player. and the principal objectof the invention is to provide a practical mechanism whereby the correct dynamic quality or intensity of sound will be automatically given to each single note of the composition played. provided that the records used be suitably prepared with this end in view.

Piano players are frequently provided with so-called solo attachments whereby certain groups of notes, for example, the bass or the treble notes. as the case may be, may be sounded more loudly than the other notes, for the purpose of bringing out the theme against the accompaniment. I am aware also that some effort has been made to construct a piano player action so that individual notes may be sounded more or less loudly. but so tar as I know, these efforts have not produced a mechanism of practical value. My invention attains the desired end by the employment ot a simple mechanical expedient which does not greatly complicate the action or involve any radical change in the general organization of player piano actions as now commonly constructed.

The invention is illustrated, somewhat diagrammatically. in the accompanying drawing. which shows a piano action, constructed so far as its general organization is con cerncd, much like certain player actions now in common use but modified to embody the inventive idea of my improvement.

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of one unit of the piano action, with parts in section, and with the tracker bar shown in plan together with a portion of the paper roll, and

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary plan view, partly.

in section, of the lower part of the mechanism showing several units on different planes.

Referring: to the drawing, 1 designates the tracker bar of the instrument having the usual orifices 2, one for each key of the piano. 3 designates the paper roll or record which is formed with a plurality of perforations 4 which, besides being of difteient lengths, as is customary, are of vary- Serial No. 402.546.

ing widths so that. some expose the entire areas of the tracker bar orifices with which they register. and others only portions of said areas in varying degrees. The rest of the drawing shows in vertical section, one of the player action units. The unit is shown as connected with one of tlie'track'e'r bar orifices 2 by means of the tube 5. The key operating pneumatic which is preferably actuated by suction, is' indicated at (F, 7 being the rod which extends from the movable portion of the pneumatic to the key striking mechanism. pneumatic 6 is secured to'a casing structure" 8 divided into ducts and chambers and provided with valve mechanism as follows: 9 is the main exhausting trunk common to all of the units. 10 duct leading "from the exhausting trunk to'the pneumatic 5' and having an outlet 11 to the atmosphere. 12 is a controlling chamber arranged beneath the trunk 9 and separated theretromby a flexible diaphragm 13. Pipe 5 leads to this controlling chamber. 14 is a duct leading from the controlling chamber to the exhausting trunk 9, and 15 is a. duct communieating with duct 14. and leadingto aspace 16 above a diaphragm 17 which supports a relief valve 18 adapted to cooperate with a valve seat- 19 which extends across duct 10. 20 is a valve seat between trunk.9 and the duct 10. 21 is a valve seat (so called for conven ence although the cooperating valve does not come into contact with it at any time) arranged between controllingchamber 12 and duct 14. and 22 is a valve seat between duct 14 and duct 15. 23 is the ex hausting or main valve which controls communication between the exhausting trunk9 and the key operating pneumatic 6. The valve is preferably formed with a tapered portion 24 extending through the opening in the seat 20. Valve 23 is arranged on a stem 25 which is connected by discs 26. 27 with the diaphragm 13. 28 is a conical bleedi 11g valve forming part of the structure 23, 25, which extends through the opening 29 in valve seat 21. The lower end of the conical valve 28 is adapted to beat-against a valve 30 carried on a flat spring 31. This alve will close the opening'in valve seat- 22 when the double valve structure 23, 28 is raised. The spring 31 also carries a valve 32 adapted to close a relief port leading from duct 15. This valve opens when valve 30 closes.

(Not shown.) I The iii The operation of a piano player action, constructed as above descr bed and used in connection with a record as shown, is as follows: Then the pedals .of the player are operated to exhaust the air from the trunk 9 air is withdrawn from the controlling chamber 12 through opening 29 and duct 14, assuming, that is, that the orifice 2 of the trackerbar associated with the unit we are considering, is covered and closed by the paper roll 3. The double valve device will, under these conditions, be drawn down so as to seat valve 23, closing communication bebefore the unit in question functions to strike theipiano key which it controls. hen with the movement across the tracker bar of the paper roll or record one of the slits 4 in the roll crosses the orifice 2. the controlling chamber will be opened to the atmosphere through pipe 5, tracker bar orifice 2 and slit 4. Air from the atmosphere will enter the controlling chamber through an opening, the effective size of which depends upon the width of the particular one of the slits which at the time crosses the tracker bar orifice. This air is being continually exhausted through the opening 29 but the cross sectional area of this opening is calculated so as to be smaller than the cross sectional area of any opening formed by any of the slits 4 and tracker bar orifice 2 so that the double valve device 23, 28 will rise until the opening 29 equals the opening at the tracker bar. The slits 4 are made of maximum widths for notes to be sounded loudly and of lesser width for notes to be less loudly sounded. The amplitude of movement of valve 23 will depend upon the width of the particular slit in register with the tracker bar orifice and the rapidity with which the air. is exhausted from the pneumatic 6,and consequently the force which the pneumatic exerts in striking its key, will depend upon the extent to which valve 23 rises. In other words, the note will be soundedloudly if the slit 4 is of full width and proportionately less loudly with slits of diminished width. In each case the double valve device 23, 28 will stop its upward movement in a balanced positionat which the variable opening 29 has the same area-as the effective opening at the tracker bar. The double valve device 23, 28 will, in any event, move far enough, in

its upward travel to seat valve 30 and open valve 82. This shuts off duct- 15 and space 16 from the exhaust trunk 9 and opens the same to the atmosphere, whereupon atmospheric pressure closes relief valve 1.9 so that the passageway 10 between the exhaust trunk 9 and the pneumatic 6 is shut off from the atmosphere. The pneumatic mechanism herein described is susceptible of uses other.

than as a part of a player piano movement.

I claim: 7 1. In a piano player, the combination of a key operating pneumatic, a valve to control the operation of the same and mechanism for,

governing the movements of said valve comprising a pneumatically actuated element, means providing chambers on opposite sides of said element communicating with each other through a bleed opening, means for producing variations of pressure in one of saidchambers and means for varying the .in said valve to an extent dependent upon b I 1 the effective size of the tracker board orifice as exposed by the record, and a relief valve for venting the pneumatic which is opened when the first named valve is closed and closed when the first named valve is opened.

3. In a piano player, the combination of a key operating pneumatic, a valve to control the operation of the same and mechanism for governing the movements of said valve comprising a pneumatically actuated element, means provid'ng chambers on opposite sides of said element communicating with each other through a bleed opening, one of said chambers being subject to a relatively constant sub-atn'lospheric pressure and,

the other provided with a norn ally closed air orifice, means for opening said airv orifice intermittently and variably with respect to its cross sectional area, and means operated by the resultantmovement ofthe pneumatically actuated element for equalizing the effective size of said bleed opening with the effective size of said air orifice.

4. In a piano player, the combination of an exhausting trunk, a tracker board hav-" ing an orifice, a record formed with perforations which while in register with said orifice expose the same, some to a greater and some to a lesser extent, and mechanism associated with said orifice comprising a key operating pneumatic, a valve to control communication between the pneumatic and the exhausting trunk, a pressure ope 'ated device subject, on one side, to the pressure of the exhausting trunk and on the other to the pressure of air entering the tracker board orifice for opening said valve to an extent dependent upon the effective size of the tracker board orifice as exposed by the record, and a relief valve for venting the pneumatic, subject intermittently to low pressure in the exhausting trunk, so as to be opened when the first named valve is closed and closed when said first named valve is opened.

5. In a piano player, the combination of an exhausting trunk, tracker board having an orifice, a record formed with perforations which while in register with said orifice expose the same, some to a greater and some to a lesser extent, and mechanism associated with said orifice comprising a key operating pneumatic, a main valve to control communication between the pneumatic and the exhausting trunk, a. pressure operated device for operating sa d main valve subject, on one side, to the pressure of the exhausting trunk and on the other to the pressure of air entering the tracker board orifice, and a bleeding valve contrclling communication between the tracker board orifice and the exhausting trunk which is moved in the opening direction as the main valve is opened until the pressures on the pressure operated device are balanced.

6. In a piano player, the combination of an exhausting trunk, a tracker board having an orifice, a record formed with perforations which while in register with said orifice expose the same, some to a greater and some to a lesser extent, and mechanism associated with said orifice comprising a key operating pneumatic, a main valve to control communication between the pneumatic and the exhausting trunk provided with a stem, a pressure operated device connected with said valve stem and subject, on one side, to the pressure of the exhausting trunk. and on the other to the pressure of air entering the tracker board orifice, and a bleed ng valve on said valve stem controlling communication between the tracker board orifice and the exhausting trunk to balance the pressures on said pressure operated device.

7. In a piano player, the combination of an exhausting trunk, a tracker board having an orifice, a record formed with perforations which while in register with sa d ori fice expose the same, some to a greater and some to a lesser extent, and mechanism associated with said orifice comprising a key operating pneumatic, a main valve to control communication between the pneumatic and the exhausting trunk, a pressure operated device subject, on one side, to the pressure of the exhausting trunk and on the other to the pressure of air entering the tracker board orifice, a bleeding valve controlling communication betwcen the tracker board orifice and the exhausting trunk which is moved in the opening direction as the main valve is opened until the pressures on the pressure operated device are balanced, a relief valve for venting the pneumatic, a pressure sensitive element for operating the relief valve, and a valve opened when the main Valve is closed and closed when the main valve is opened for subjecting said pressure sensitive element intermittently to the low pressure of the exhausting trunk.

8. In a piano player, the combination of an exhausting trunk, a tracker board'having an orifice, a record formed with perforations which while in register with said orifice expose the same, some to a greater and some to a lesser extent, and mechanism associated with said orifice comprising akey operating pneumatic, a main valve to control communication between the pneumat'c and the exhausting trunk provided with a stem, a pressure operated device connected with said valve stem and subject, on one side, to the pressure of the exhausting trunk and on the other to the pressure of air entering the tracker board orifice. a bleeding valve on said valve stem cont-rolling comn'mnication between the tracker board orifice and the exhausting trunk to balance the pressures on said pressure operated device, a relief valve for venting the pneumatic, a pressure sensitive element for o aerating said relief valve, and a valve on said main valve stem for subjecting said pressure sensitive element intermittently to the low pressure of the exhausting trunk.

9. In a piano player, the combination of an exhausting trunk a tracker board having an orifice, a record formed with perforations which while in register with said orifice expose the same, some to a greater and some to a lesser extent. and mechanism associated with said orifice comprising a key operating pneumatic. a main valve to control communication between the pneumatic and the exhausting trunk. a pressure operated device subject, on one side, to the pressure of the exhausting trunk. for opening and closing said main valve. means constituting a chamber on the other side of the pressure operated device, a duct between said chamber and the tracker board orifice and a duct between the chamber and the exhausting trunk. and a bleeding valve movable with said main valve for controlling the opening between the chamber and said last mentioned duct 10. In a piano player. the combination of an exhausting trunk, a tracker board having an, orifice, a record formed with per-forations which while in register with said ori fice exposethe same, some to a greater and some to a lesser extent, and mechanism associated with said orifice comprising a key side, to the pressure. of the exhausting trunk,

means constituting a chamber on the other side of the pressure operated device, a duct between the chamber and the tracker board orifice and a duct between the chamber and exhausting trunk, and a bleeding valve on said main valve stem for controlling the opening between the chamber named duct. I

11. In a piano player, the combination of an exhausting trunk, a tracker boa-rd having an orifice, a record formed with perforations which while in register with said orifice expose the same, some to a greater and and said last some to a lesser extent, and mechanism associated with said orifice comprising a key operating pneumatic, a main valve to control communication between the pneumatic and the exhausting trunk, a pressure operated device subject, on one side, to the pressure of the exhausting trunk, for opening and closing said main valve, means constituting a chamber having a bleeding opening, a duct between the tracker board orifice and chamber and a duct between the bleeding opening-and exhausting trunk, and aflconical valve in the bleeding opening which is moved to enlarge the eiiective size of said opening when the main valve is opened. f

12. In a piano player, the combination of an exhausting trunk, a tracker board having an orifice, a record formed with perforations which while in register with said orifice expose the same, some to a greater and some to a lesser extent, and mechanism associated with said orifice comprising a key operated pneumatic, a main valve to control communication between the pneumatic and the exhausting trunk provided with a stem, a pressure operated device connected with said stem and subject, on one side, to the pressure of the exhausting trunk, means constituting a chamber on the other side of said pressure operated device having a bleeding opening, a duct between the bleeding opening and chamber and a duct between the bleedingopening and exhausting trunk, and a conical valve on'said valve stem and extending through said bleeding opening which ismoved to enlarge the efiective sizeof said opening when the main valve is opened.

13. In a piano player, the combination of an exhausting trunk, a tracker board having an orifice, a record formed with perforations which while in register with said orifice expose the same, some to a greater and some to a lesser extent, and mechanism associated with said orifice comprising akey operating pneumatic, a main valve to control communication between the pneumatic and the exhausting trunk, a pressure oper: ated device subject, on one side, to the pressure of the exhausting trunk, for opening and closing said main valve, a relief valve for venting the pneumatic, a'pressure sensitive element for operating the relief valve exposed on one side to the outside atmos, phere, means constituting a pressure chamber on the other side of the pressure operated device "from that exposed to the exhausting trunk, a duct between said chamber and tracker board orifice, a duct between said chamber and exhausting trunk and a duct for subjecting the inner side of the pressure sensitive element to the low pressure of the exhausting trunk, a bleeding valve movable with said main valve for controlling the'opening between the chamber and the duct leading from the chamber to the exhausting trunk, and a Valve closed when the main valve is opened and opened when the main valve is closed to control communication between the exhausting trunk and duct leading to said pressure sensitive element.

14. In a piano player, the combi'nation of an exhausting trunk, a tracker boardhaving an orifice, a record formed with perforations which while in register with said orifice expose the same, some to a greater and some to a lesser extent, and mechanism associated with said orifice comprising a key operat ing pneumatic, a main valve to control com munication between the pneumatic and the exhausting trunk, a pressure operated device subject, on one side, to the pressure of the exhausting trunk, for opening and closing said main valve, a relief valve ferventing the pneumatic, a pressure sensitive element exposed on one side to the outside atmosphere, means constituting a pressure chamber on the other side of the pressure operated device from that exposed to the exhausting trunk, a duct between said chamber and tracker board orifice, a-duct between said chamber and exhausting'trunk and a duct for subjecting theinner side of the pressure sensitive element to the low pressure of the exhausting trunk, a bleeding valve movable with said main valve for controlling the opening between the chamber and the duct leading from the chamber to the exhausting trunk, a-valve closed when the main valve is opened and opened when the main valve is closed to control communication between the exhausting trunk and duct leading to-said pressure sensitive element, and aventing valve for said last mentioned duct which is closed when the main valve is closed and open when the main valve is opened.

15. In combination with the tracker board having an orifice, the exhausting trunk and the key operating pneumatic of a piano player, a record formed with perforations which when in register with said orifice expose the same, some to a greater and some to a lesser extent, a main valve for controlling communication between the exhausting trunk and pneumatic, a pressure operated device subject, on one side, to the pressure of the exhausting trunk and on the other to the pressure of air entering the tracker board orifice, and a bleeding valve which controls communication between the tracker board orifice and the exhausting trunk to balance the pressures on opposite sides of said pressure operated device and limit the opening movements of the main valve to an extent dependent on the efiective size of the tracker board orifice as exposed by the record.

16. In combination with the tracker board having an orifice, the exhausting trunk and the key operating pneumatic of a piano player, a record formed with perforations which when in register with said orifice expose the same, some to greater and some to a lesser extent, a main valve for controlling communication between the exhausting trunk and pneumatic, a pressure operated device subject, on one side. to the pressure of the exhaustingtrunk and on the other to the pressure of air entering the tracker board orifice, a bleeding valve which controls communication between the tracker board orifice and the exhausting trunk to balance the pressures on opposite sides of said pressure operated device and limit the opening movements of the main valve to an extent dependent on the effective size of the tracker board orifice as exposed by the rec- 'ord, a relief valve for venting the pneumatic, and means actuated by movements of the main valve for closing the relief valve when the main valve is opened and opening the relief valve when the main valve is closed.

17 In a piano player, the combination of a tracker board having an orifice, a record formed with perforations which when in register with said orifice expose the same, some to a greater and some to a lesser extent, a key operating pneumatic, an exhausting trunk, a main valve for controlling communication between the exhausting trunk and the key operated pneumatic provided with a stem, a flexible diaphragm connected with said stem, means constituting with said diaphragm a chamber formed in the bottom with a bleeding opening, means constituting a duct from the tracker board orifice to said chamber, means constituting a duct leading from said bleeding opening to the exhausting trunk, a conical valve on said valve stem extending through said bleeding opening, a. relief valve for controlling communication between the pnemnatic and outside atmosphere, at flexible diaphragm connected with said valve, means constituting a duct leading to the inner side of said last named diaphragm and comprising an opening communicating with the duct between said chamber and exhausting trunk, through which opening the conial valve extends, a valve on the end of said conical valve for closing said opening when the main valve is opened, a valve controlling communication between the outside atmosphereand the duct leading to the second named diaphragm, and a spring on which said last named valve is carried, which spring is engaged, to close said last named valve when the main valve is closed, by the valve that is arranged on the end of said conical valve.

18. In a piano player, the combination of an exhausting trunk, a tracker board having an orifice, a record formed with perforations which while in register with said orifice expose the same, some to a greater and some to a lesser extent, and mechanism associated with said orifice comprising a key operated pneumatic, a main valve to control communication between the pneumatic and the exhausting trunk, a pressure operated device for operating said main valve subject, on one side, to the pressure of the exhausting trunk, and on the other to the pressure of air entering the tracker board orifice, and a bleeding valve controlling communication between the tracker board orifice and the exhausting trunk which is moved in the opening direction as the operating pneumatic is collapsed until the pressures on the pressure operated device are balanced.

19. In a piano player, the combination of an exhausting trunk, a tracker board having an orifice, a record formed with perforations which while in register with said orifice expose the same, some to a greater and some to a. lesser extent, and mechanism associated with said orifice comprising a key operated pneumatic, a main valve which controls communication between the pneumatic and the exhausting trunk provided with a stem, a pressure operating device connected with said valve stem and subject on one side, to the pressure of the exhaust ing trunk, means constituting a chamber on the other side of the pressure operating device, a duct between the chamber and the tracker board orifice and a duct comprising a. bleeding opening between the chamber and exhausting trunk and a bleeding valve on said main valve stem for increasing the size of the bleeding opening gradually as the main valve opens.

20.- In combination, a pneumatically actuated element, means constituting chambers on opposite sides of said element having communication with each other through a bleed opening, means for producing variations of pressure in one of said chambers, and means for varying the effective size of said bleed opening in accordance with the changes in position of said pneumatically actuated element.

21. In combination, a pneumatically actuated element, means constituting chambers on opposite'sides of said element having communication With each other through a bleed opening, one of said chambers being subject to a relatively constant sub-atmospheric pressure and the other provided with a normally closed air orifice, means for opening said air orificeintermittently and variably with respect to its cross sectional area, and means operated by the resultant movement of the pneumatically actuated element for equalizing the efiective size of said bleed opening with the effective size ofsaid air orifice.

FRED I. RAYMOND. 

